Pencil holder for sharpeners



y 1929. c. c. SPENGLER 1,722,771

PENCIL HOLDER FOR SHARPENERS Filed Aug. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l July30, 1929. c. c. SPENGLER 1,722,771

PENCIL HOLDER FOR SHARPENERS Filed Aug. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' f7zoezzarf C/mrsa 65,06 2

Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED. STATES y 1,722,771 PATENT OFFICE.

OEABIZES G. SPENGLEB, OF, ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOSPENGIIEB-IIOOKIS MANUFAOTUBLNG 60., O1! CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A.CORPORATION OI NEW YORK.

PENCIL HOLDER FOB SHARPENEQS.

Application filed. August 20, 1926. Serial No. 80,397.

This invention relates to pencil holding devices employed in connectionwith pencil Sharpeners.

Heretofore in encil Sharpeners of this general type, it has can thepractice to provlde gripping jaws which are controlled manually forholding the pencil; that is, by posltlve actuation employing levers orsimilar elements.

This necessitated complicated construction and further, the necessity ofunhandy manipulation on the part of the operator.

It is the object of my invention to provide a simple and efiectivegripping means for holding a pencil while it is being fed into thecutting devices in the process of sharpening the same.

Another object is to eliminate the manual control feature and provide aset of gripping jaws which are actuated by the inserted pen oil andwhich operate elfeotively entirely by the engagement with the end of thepencil when the pencil is thrust into the holding device.

Another object is to provide a set of gripping jaws for a pencil holderwhich will always maintain the pencil centered regardless of the size ofthe pencil and thus present the end portion in a proper position to beenga ed by the cutting blades.

bjects of my invention are accomplished preferably by the structuresdisclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which like referencecharacters representcorrespondingparts, and in which Figure 1 is asideelevation showing a manually operated pencil sharpener, comprising acasing containlng the cutting apparatus and automatic holding andfeeding device;

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in crosssection, showing theholding and feeding mechanism, the internal construction being shown indotted lines;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3*-3'* of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail showing, artly in crosssect-ion, taken on line 4 4*of igure 1 Figure 5 is a side elevation of a sharpener similar to thatshown in Figure 1 with a stationary casing for the gripping jaws, theautomatic feed being dispensed with;

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the form shown in Figure 5 as seen fromthe left;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the holding mechanism taken online 7*7" of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 7 talren on line 8*-8"; and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showlng the inner member ofthe holder made of a; stampmg of sheet metal instead of being casReferring to the drawings, 1 represents a base plate; 2 indicatesgenerally a conventlonal type of sharpening mechanism containmg cuttingblades and having a handle t) for manual operation. In the form shown InFigures 1 to 4 inclusive, which embodies an automatic feed, the baseplate 1 is provlded with an upturned end 5 forming a supportfor atubular extension 6 and the outer end of supporting rod 7, which rod isshown 1n Flgure 2 disposed centrally within the tube 6. The tube 6 formsa sliding bearing support for the cylindrical member 8 which togetherwith the rod 7 and the depending arm 9, the end of which is adapted toslide in a slot 11, form a carriage for the feeding mechanism designatedgenerally at 10. Elements 6 and 7 are telescopically arranged and areadapted to contain a coiled spring 12 WhlCh exerts a force tending tohold the feedingmechanism in the right hand position shown in Figure 1.The carriage is held in assembled relation by the rod 7 which isinserted from the left, as shown in Figure 1, and is held byscrew-threaded engagement with the adjacent end of the casing of thecutting mechanism.

In the form shown in Figures 5 to 9 inclusive, the automatic feed hasbeen dispensed with, the holder being mounted directly on the housing ofthe cutter,and the feeding of the pencil is accomplished by manualthrust applied by the operator to cause the pencil to slip through thejaws.

All of the features of my invention are the same, however, whetherapplied with or without the automatic feed, the only difference residingin the positioning of the holder relative to the cutter casing, theeccentric pencil opening being at the side when applied with theautomatic type and at the top in the other modification.

' The cutter housing may be made in several ways as shown in the variousfigures, Figure 3 showing a cast frame member for the parts with a discplate closing the assembly. In Figures 7 and 8, a cast frame is likewiseshown but having a cover which completely encloses same therebyeliminating the neces- 110 sity of polishing the sides of the casting,the cover in this instance being made of stamped metal. In Figure 9, thearrangement'is similar to Figure 8 but the frame member is also ofstamped metal and is entirely enclosed by a stamped metal cover plate.

My invention relates especially to the holding device which is shown indetail in Figures 3 and 4, 7 and 8,-and 9, and which will now bedescribed. Two cooperating members 13 and 14 which may be made in any ofthe above described forms, constitute a casing which contains theholding mechanism. These parts are held together with suitable screws15' and are provided with perforations therethrough in alignment withthe receiving opening in the casing for the cutting mechanism. Thisermits a pencil when inserted between the jaws to be properly fed intothe sharpener upon movement of the carriage to the right in theautomatic feed type or to permit the pencil to slip when thrust intoengagement in the other type. Disposed within the casing portion 14,ribs 16 are provided which form a guideway for sliding jaws 17 The jawsprovided in the invention as shown are each made of a single piece ofmetal bent to form a receiving funnel into which the pencil is placedand by which it is guided into aligned relation with the cutting blade.

The other end of the jaw members form rectangular plates 26 whichconstitute slide blocks vertically movable in the guideway provided byribs 16. The j awsare normally held closed by spring 18 through theaction of levers 19 and 20 which bear on the small horizontal bearingsurfaces 21 of the jaw members, and the expanding effort of the springacts in opposite directions, all of which causes the jaws to approacheach other. Levers 19 and 20 are preferably formed with offset arms 22and 23 which are adapted to oooperate with sliding engagement wherebysimultaneous movement of equal amount is assured thus providing yieldingmeans for the jaws but maintaining the center of the funnel always inproper alignment. The cooperative engagement is accomplished preferablyby providing a rounded end 24 and an elongated slot 25 such as shown inFigure 4;. The ends of the levers are provided with enlarged heads whichhave a dual function; first, to engage by edge contact the bearingportion 21 of the jaws, and secondly, to engage with relatively largesurface contact on opposite sides of the guide blocks the jaw elementsand the inner surface of the casing element 13 so as to completely fillthe space between these surfaces in the casing and thereby prevent anytilting of the guide plates causing the jaws to always maintain a properposition and eliminating all tendency to bind .in their movement.

This last feature is of great importance inasmuch as the spreading ofthe jaws is to contact the inclined sides of the funnel.

To operate the automatic feed type, the operator grasps the casing 10 ofthe feeding mechanism in any convenient manner and moves the same to theleft against. the tension of the spring 12, as shown in Figure 1. The

pencil is then inserted into the funnel-shaped extension of the jawswhere it causes by wedging action the jaws to spread an amountsufficient to allow the pencil to pass and approach the casing 2, inposition to be engaged by the cutting blade. When this is done, thepencil is firmly held in position by the action of the spring 18 andlevers 19 and 20 and then the spring 12 exerts its force through thecarriage and gripping jaws to the pencil to cause the pencil to be fedagainst the blades in the proper method.

To operate the type disclosed in Figures 5 to 9 inclusive, the operatormerely thrusts the pencil in the funnel receiving members and betweenthe jaws, the jaws acting to maintain the pencil in proper alignment tocontact the cutting blades. During the cutting operation, the operatorcontinues to thrust the pencil inwardly causing the pencil to slip inthe jaws at the rate permitted by the removal of material by the cuttingprocess.

It is my intention to coverall modifications of the invention fallingwithin the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a pencil holding devicefa casing comprising two cooperatingmembers having perforations therethrough adapted to be aligned with acutting tool, one of said members having two ribs on its inner surfaceforming a guideway, means forming gripping jaws mounted to slide in saidguideway, two levers mounted in said casing and provided withinterengaging means, an expanding spring having its opposite ends seatedagainst adjacent ends of the two levers, and the opposite ends of thelevers having large flatheads thereon which engage the jaws toyieldingly resist separation of the same and to act as filler means tocause the jaws to maintain a proper vertical position.

2. In a pencil sharpener, a casing composed of two cooperating members,a plurality of jaw elements therein angular in shape to form a verticalpart and a horizontal bearing part and a flared receiving part, saidjaws being ada tedv to be moved in a guideway simultaneous y in oppositedirections, levers mounted in said casing having interengaging arms sothat movement of one will cause an equal and opposite movement of theother, a spring interposed between one pair of arms of the levers andthe opposite arms having flattened heads thereon adapted to engageedgewise with the horizontal bearing portion and by side contact with arelatively large area of the vertical portion of the jaw elements.

3. A pencil holding device for a pencil sharpener com rising a casing,an opening therethrough, aw elements mounted in said casing and havingportions extending through the opening and movable in oppositedirections against spring tension, said jaw elements bein made angularshape to form with one part 0 each a receiving funnel and with the otherpart of each, slidlng elements, said sliding elements being mounted in aguideway and cooperating with levers so that both parts under thecontrol of the levers will recede automatically an equal amount, when apencil is inserted so as to maintain the center of the opening betweenthe jaws always the same.

4. In a pencil holder, gripping jaws comprisin two cooperating anglemembers yieldingly eld together by a spring, one arm of the angle memberforming a slide adapted to be held against binding upon movement byengagement'with large side bearing surfaces, the other arms cooperatingto form a funnel receiving member for a pencil which is adapted, uponinsertion of a pencil, to force the 'aws apart and protrusions on theangle memers which initially hold the jaws apart a predetermined amount.

5. In a pencil sharpener, cutting apparatus, means for holding a pencilcomprising a casmg, pencil gripping jaws mounted thereed on said su inadapted to slide against'spring pressureand presenting outturnedextensions with inclined faces, said inclined faces being adapted toengage the end of the pencil when the same is inserted and to cause thejaws to separate to receive same. v t

6. In a work holdin device, a support, a casing on said support, awsslidably mounted in said casing adapted to yield against spring pressureand having outturned extensions orming a funnel for receiving the work,said jaws being separated to permit the work to be inserted uponapplication of pressure on the work when same is placed so as to contactthe inside faces of the receiving funnel.

7. In a pencil sharpener, a pencil holding means comprising a support, acasing mountrt, two ribs in said casing forming a gu1 eway, jaws mountedto slide in said guideway and adapted to be held normally closed, saidjaws presenting a funnellike receiving extension with internal conicalwalls in order that the jaws may be caused to separate to ermit theinsertion of a pencil when same 1s thrust into said-funnel-likereceiving extension.

'8. In a device of the character described, pencil holding 'awsyieldingly mounted to recede from and approach each other, said jawshaving comp ementary tapered openm' 's therein forming a pencilrecelving unne cutting apparatus, pencil holding means comprising jawson opposite sides of the axis of the cutting position of the pencil,said jaws being yieldingly mounted to simultaneously recede from andapproach said axis, each of '9. In a device of the character described,

said jaws having a tapered recess forming a pencil receiving funnel.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 17th day of August, 1926.

' CHARLES C. SPENGLER.

